Safe Indoor Play With Rabbits

Check out some safe games to play with rabbits indoors.

Q:My bunny, Little Dude, and I love to go to the park but we can only go there in good weather. What are some good play activities we can do indoors?

A: Be very careful when taking your rabbit to the park, because many dangers lurk about. Dogs can come out of nowhere, and pesticides or molds might be in the grass. A harness and leash must be used with caution on rabbits. When a rabbit is frightened, its instinct is to flee. A frightened rabbit on a harness and leash will run and not want to stop, even when the leash pulls tight. A rabbit that continues to struggle to get away might do cartwheels that lead to a broken back or other injuries.

Indoor play with a rabbit is much safer and there is so much to do. Set up a bunny playground made out of tubes and cardboard boxes. Take plain brown cardboard boxes, put some sideways, some closed up and cut holes in two sides so your rabbit can run in and out. Add cement forming tubes as tunnels. These are found at hardware stores, and are about 5 feet long, rabbits love to run through these and play. Remove any wax paper inside the tube so your rabbit doesn’t chew it.

You can set these up in all sorts of combinations. You can also find wooden bunny playgroups and all sorts of toys online. Just do a search for rabbit toys.

Rabbits like to play hide-and-seek, so hide healthy treats in baskets or different areas throughout the house. Rabbits love to forage through things, especially when there is a prize. Healthy treats can be rose petals, herbs (fresh or dried), a couple of pellets or some strands of parsley.

Rabbits often love floor time with their human, too. Just lay down on the floor on your tummy and watch your rabbit come up to you, jump on your back or just lay in front of you stretched out wanting a head stroke.